Diamond Announces 2018 Gem Award Winners

Jan 17, 2019

Diamond Comic Distributors proudly announces the winners of the 2018 Diamond Gem Awards, selected by comic book specialty retailers and celebrated within the comic book industry as an key annual award honoring sales success.

DC Entertainment took home Comic Book Publisher of the Year (Over 3% Market Share) in 2018 and had the Top Dollar Comic Book with Action Comics #1000. Retailers recognized DC with the most Gem Awards--six--including the Comic Book of the Year $3.99 or Under with Heroes In Crisis #1; Comic Book of the Year - Over $3.99 with Action Comics #1000; Reprint TP or HC of the Year with Batman White Knight; Best All Ages Series with DC Super Hero Girls; and Best All-Ages Original/Reprint Graphic Novel with DC Super Hero Girls: Date With Disaster.DC Collectibles, the collectibles branch of DC Entertainment won Collectible Statue of the Year with the Batman Black and White: The Batman Who Laughs statue.

Marvel Comics earned five Gem Awards, including Top Dollar Market Share Publisher of the Year, Licensed Comic of the Year with Star Wars: Darth Vader Dark Lord of the Sith Volume 2; Anthology of the Year with Thanos Legacy #1; Best Free Comic Book Day Book with FCBD 2018 Avengers Captain America; and Best New Comic Book Series with Immortal Hulk.

Image Comics received two Gem Awards, taking home Backlist Publisher of the Year and Original Graphic Novel of the Year with My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies.

Dark Horse Comicsreceived two Gem Awards, for Licensed Comic of the Year with Stranger Things #1 and Trade Book of the Year with The Legend of Zelda Encylopedia.

IDW Publishing received a Gem Awards, taking home Game Product of the Year with Batman: The Animated Series Gotham Under Siege.

Retailers also recognized BOOM! Studios as Comic Book Publisher of the Year (Under 3% Market Share), VIZ Media with two Gem Awards, including Manga Publisher of the Year; and Diamond Select Toys with two Gem Awards, including Toy Manufacturer of the Year.

A panel of Diamond product specialists selected the supplier nominees for the Diamond Gem Awards based on each entry’s overall impact on the industry, while comics and related merchandise were chosen on the merits of their sales performance and quality from 2018. Members of the most critical segment that serves the comic book-buying public--comic book specialty retailers across the United States and worldwide--then selected the winners.

Since its inception in 2014, the McDuffie Award has spotlighted the outstanding comics from traditionally underrepresented voices in comic book publishing that also strive to widen the diversity of the craft on the page.